ARTICLE I NATIONAL TERRITORY

ARTICLE 1, SECTION 1
The national territory comprises the Philippine
archipelago, with all the islands and waters
embraced therein, and all other territories over which
the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction,
consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, maritime, and
aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the
seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other
submarine areas. The waters around, between, and
connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless
of their breadth and dimensions, form part of
internal waters of the Philippines.
NECESSITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL
PROVISION ON NATIONAL TERRITORY
Binding force of such provision under international law.

Value of provision defining our national territory.

Acquisition of other territories.

Binding force A State under the international
of such law has the unquestioned right
provision
under
to assert jurisdiction throughout
international the extent of its territory
law

If there is a territorial dispute it

should be settled according to
the international law.
Value of It is important to know so that
provision we and the other nations
defining would know the boundaries
our of our country.
national
territory. the Philippines can
promulgate and enforce its
laws within our country.
ACQUISITION OF OTHER TERRITORIES.
does not prevent the Philippines from
acquiring new territories by means of
purchase, exchange, and such.
 NATIONAL TERRITORY OF THE
PHILIPPINES
The Philippine archipelago
with all the islands and
waters embraced therein
All other territories over
which the Philippines has
sovereignty or jurisdiction

Philippines
territory

The terrestrial, fluvial,

maritime, and aerial domain
The internal waters
and the territorial sea, the
seabed, etc.
OTHER TERRITORIES OVER WHICH THE
PHILIPPINES HAS SOVEREIGNTY OR
JURISDICTION
 PENDING PHILIPPINE CLAIM TO SABAH,
ETC
According to “all the other territories
the 1973 belonging to the Philippines
constitution,
by historic right or legal
title”
It was amended during the
1987 Phil. Constitution.
 PENDING PHILIPPINE CLAIM TO SABAH,
ETC
Any other territory
over which the
Philippines has
sovereignty or
jurisdiction
FUTURE CLAIMS BY THE PHILIPPINES TO
OTHER AREAS
The deletion of “by historic right or
legal title” is designed to improve our
relations with Malaysia while allowing
flexibility in pursuing the Sabah claim
OTHER AREAS INCLUDED IN THE
PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO.
Territorial Seabed Subsoil
sea • The land that • Refers to
• Part of the holds the sea everything
sea extending beneath the
12 nautical surface soil
miles (19km) and the
from the low seabed
water mark
Insular shelves Other submarine
• Submerged areas
portions of a • All areas under the
continent or territorial sea like
offshore island seamount, trough,
trench, basin, deep,
bank, etc
THREE-FOLD DIVISION OF NAVIGABLE
WATERS.
Waters of the earth
(international law)

Inland or Territorial High

internal sea open
waters seas
 (THE REPUBLIC OF THE
THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ARBITRATION PHILIPPINES V. THE PEOPLE’S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA)
Historic Rights and the ‘Nine-Dash Line’
Status of Features
Lawfulness of Chinese Actions
Harm to Marine Environment
Aggravation of Dispute
1734 VELARDE MAP
THE PHILIPPINE POSITION
FATAL EFFECT APPLICATION OF 12 MILE
RULE
It would mean the dismemberment of
the archipelago with:
the Sibuyan sea separating the Visayas,
the Mindanao Strait and the Sulu isolating
Palawan from the rest of the archipelago.
 Several areas of
waters would
cease to be
Philippine
waters;

They would become

international waters
or high seas,

Fatal effect
application of
12-mile rule
And fishing vessels from
all nations can enter
 And fishing vessels
from all nations can
enter

Warships of unfriendly
nations could enter
these waters and stay

Fatal effect
application of
12-mile rule
We would lose a large
part of our territory
A SINGLE NATION AND A UNITED STATE
One whole
unitary
government
Economically Bound by a
and socially common
as one heritage,

Interdepen- Beholden to
dent and the same
united tradition
politically
Pursuing the
same ideals
RECOGNIZED BY U.N. CONVENTION ON
LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS)
The archipelago principle and the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) rights are
now fully recognized in the U.N. Law of
the Sea Convention.
It was approved by the interim
Batasang Pambansa on February 27,
1984.
END